South Africa travellers advised to call 111 line

Anyone who's travelled to or from South Africa in the last two weeks is being advised to call the Covid 111 line and get a test.

A new variant of Coronavirus was detected in South Africa at the beginning of October and has spread rapidly through the country - on December 22 two cases of the South African variant were detected in the UK.

Director of Public Health, Dr Henrietta Ewart, says: "The South African variant raises no immediate cause for concern amongst our Island’s community.  The offer of tests for this small, specific group, is simply an added precaution so that we can be as certain as possible that this variant has not arrived on the Island.

"It is common and natural for viruses to mutate, it is not unusual or something that should cause alarm.

"Examining the COVID-19 virus and how it adapts and mutates increases our understanding and so this sort of surveillance is an incredibly important element in our battle against this disease."

The 111 service is open between 8am and 8pm every day and because testing in this case is retrospective there won't be a charge.